Deathly Ozone
by Sleeping-force's-inside
Summary: A new experiment by Team Rocket. The Result more unsettling than Mewtwo. R & E & R Completed.
1. Chapter 1

**Category:**** Pokémon**

**Rating:**** M **

**Couples:**** Giratina/Rayquaza**

**Warnings:**** Major AU, Blood, Character Death**

**Chapter:**** 1**

**Copyright:**** © characters and places by Nintendo & Game Freak; © Plot and OC's by me**

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"Kyurem, just shut your mouth for once!" Reshiram complained after the meeting. "And you wonder why no one likes you."

"I am just voicing my opinion." The Ice Dragon countered. "Is it my fault Arceus can't handle that?"

The Tao-trio kept arguing as they left the Hall of Origin.

Giratina just rolled her eyes as she watched them leave. Kyurem had been calling for reforms of the Legendary Council ever since Arceus had woken from his thousand-year-sleep after Damos' treachery, before Ash and his friends had changed the past and cancelled the whole treachery-part of the story. The ice member of the trio had thought it unbelievable that the Council had almost fallen apart during the sleep of their Leader, each Legendary practically going for him or herself.

And while many agreed with him to some degree, the way he demanded change mostly irritated the other Legendaries.

She rose from her own pedestal, floating down the long marble corridor towards the exit to return to the Distortion World. In the distance, shooting through the Ozone-layer like a green arrow, Rayquaza returned to Hoenn. The Tao-trio was flying off a bit closer to the Hall and she could just make out the closing portal of Dialga.

She flew down to the nearest lake, terrifying dozens of wild Pokémon as she opened her own portal on the calm surface.

She sighed as she floated through her world. It would be another three months before the next meeting, meaning she'd suffer from loneliness for those three months. And people wondered why she seemed so depressed and anti-social all the time. How was one supposed to become social when one didn't speak to others for months or years at a time?

Perhaps she could sneak out one of these days and visit some human-city? She looked at some of the crystals floating around. Damn, this almost made her wish for another cataclysmic event. At least then she had some company… Okay, maybe not another Zero, since he very nearly killed her – saved by a tiny Grass-Pokémon too, ugh, her pride was still recovering from that one – which was generally not a good thing. Though Ash was a nice guy, as far as she could tell.

She sighed again. That she was musing about a human of all things. Might as well let one of those dozen trainers capture her while she was at it!

She shook her head, ordering those thought to go somewhere where her common sense was not. No, she'd never let herself be caught by the humans. But she really did need some relaxing-time outside of the Distortion World and Turnback Cave.

Perhaps a visit to Nimbasa City would be a nice idea? Considering thousands went there each evening, and thousands more came from all over the world to visit the major city in Unova, she really wouldn't be out of place anywhere there. It wasn't like Latias and Latios were the only Legendaries that could turn themselves into humans on a whim.

Later that day, when the sun was just starting to descend from its' highest point, she opened a portal out on sea, just off the coast of the center land-strip of Unova, under the closed Driftveil Drawbridge. Before anyone could notice the massive Legendary she turned human, stepping out of the water unto land.

"I really need to arrange with Arceus that I can get through portals in my human-form." She muttered as she looked at her wet clothes. "At least it's Summer and I'll dry soon enough."

Giratina plopped down on the ground, pulling of her boots and shaking the water out of them.

"Hey, you okay?" Someone called from above her. She looked up to see some people looking down on her.

"Yeah, I'm fine!" She answered, realizing that perhaps sitting at the foot of a bridge might not be the best idea to remain inconspicuous. She swiftly climbed up, sitting down on one of the benches overlooking the wide river.

She combed through her red hair, cursing under her breath when she realized that that too was completely drenched.

Something appeared in the corner of her eye and she blinked in surprise when she noticed a towel being held out to her.

"This might help." The young woman said, her Arcanine sniffing around as his trainer was talking to the woman.

"Thanks." Giratina accepted the towel and wrapped it around her hair. "Sometimes I really hate the water."

"I can imagine." The woman said. "My name is Luna, by the way."

"Tina." Giratina answered, deciding that now she had a towel she might as well use it and peeled of her coat. "Thanks for the towel."

"Don't mention it." Luna answered. "Where are you going, if I may ask?"

"Nimbasa City." Giratina answered, neatly folding the towel.

"Awww, too bad." Luna accepted the towel again, stuffing it into her backpack again. "I am going the other way across the bridge. I would have liked talking to you some more."

"Because you met me dripping wet?" Giratina snorted.

"Because you seem interesting." Luna countered. "Are you a Trainer?"

"Heavens no." Giratina quickly said. She did not need to see the other's team to know she was formidable, having all the badges. She could sense their aura in the air around Luna. "I never was one for battles." Yeah right, Giratina, and who was the one who got banished for being too aggressive? _Mew_?

"Too bad…" Luna muttered, then grinning at the look on Giratina's face. "What can I say? I travel for a battle, shall we say. I'm not one for contests, I'm afraid."

"Good to know." Giratina answered dryly. "I'll call you if I ever need someone to fight a battle for me."

Luna laughed at that.


	2. Chapter 2

**Category:**** Pokémon**

**Rating:**** M **

**Couples:**** Giratina/Rayquaza**

**Warnings:**** Major AU, Blood, Character Death**

**Chapter:**** 2**

**Copyright:**** © characters and places by Nintendo & Game Freak; © Plot and OC's by me**

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Giratina waved to the trainer as she walked away. She was weird but nice, the Renegade Pokémon thought as she walked down Route 5 to Nimbasa City in the distance. She frowned lightly at seeing the trailer parked on the pavement, raising her eyebrow as a boy entered it.

She shook her head, marveling at the weird behavior of the humans and just walked on. The Route was busy enough that someone would notice if something happened to the kid.

In the distance the buildings rose above the tree-tops, the Ferris wheel standing out among the sky-scrapers. She nearly jumped a mile high in surprise when noticing just how full the city was.

The evening was a flurry of motion, colors and sounds, with several men inviting the Legendary for drinks. She accepted them, but never stayed long with the men buying them: she was not quite comfortable with how forward some of them were.

She finally found a calm spot away from all the commotion, sighing in relief at the peace and relative quiet it gave her.

"Well, look who's here."

She wheeled around at the voice, looking at the man who had managed to sneak up on her. He was wearing a closed pine-green trench-coat, his hands in his pockets and his hair formed into two big spikes.

"A Legendary has come to enjoy the decadence of Nimbasa City? Giratina has left her Dimension to do so?" His voice was disbelieving as he talked to her, his golden eyes studying her.

She blinked a few times and then caught in him the exact same thing he had to have caught with her: an air of power and eternity, spiced with the smell of Ozone.

"Rayquaza…" She answered, relaxing some. "The same can be said of you: stepping down on solid ground for the sake of some entertainment?"

"The Ozone is only good for that much company and entertainment." He answered, pulling his hands from his pockets and opened the trench-coat enough for her to see his face. "Besides, I've been doing this for ages. No one found out until now."

"Had you not snuck up on me, I wouldn't have either." She reminded him that her Psychic abilities, just like his and very much unlike those of say… Mew, were almost pathetic, not even enough for something simple like Telepathy.

"I was wondering if I felt correctly when I thought a Legendary passed me by as I was about to go eat some dinner." He shrugged. "What exactly are you doing here anyway?"

"The Distortion World is not that company-rich and entertaining either." Giratina answered him, frowning at that. "At least you have the occasional Flying-type Pokémon that passes you by, but I only have Cyrus and he is poor company indeed."

"Yeah, he was quite the weirdo…" Rayquaza rolled his eyes as they started to walk through the city. "What do people have with abusing us anyway?"

"Good fun?" Giratina shrugged. "Who of us didn't get caught yet anyway?"

"I did get caught, you got caught, Latios got caught, Mew - sort-off if you start the debate about her and Mewtwo's relationship again - got caught too, the Lake Trio did, Palkia, Dialga, Suicune, Raikou…" Rayquaza counted. "I think Kyogre didn't get caught yet though…"

"Send the girl a medal…" Giratina muttered. "When did you get caught?"

"Shortly before that Manaphy-thing with Ash – who I suspect of having a Legendary-radar or something – I was just flying along when Team Rocket attacked me with rockets…" He glared at her as she muffled a snort at that. "And because of that Arceus-damned rule of 'no great force when Humans are involved unless I myself want to Judgment their asses to Kingdom come' it took me almost a week until I got out."

"Yes, that rule is to go crazy about…" Giratina frowned. "I nearly got killed because I couldn't properly defend myself without risking a Judgment when he finally woke up…"

"And then Shaymin of all Legendaries had to save your ass. Yes, you mentioned that during the meeting." Now Rayquaza snorted in amusement. "Ah, our prides had to suffer dearly these last few years, no?"

"You got beaten up by blocks." Giratina pointed out.

"You nearly got killed by a kid with big toys." Rayquaza countered. "So how about we call it even?"

"Deal." She muttered.

"Dinner?" He stopped, pointing at a nearby restaurant. "They have delicious noodles."

"What?" Giratina had no clue how he came from their dealings with power-hungry humans to noodles of all things.

"I am hungry." He stated it in a tone as if that explained everything. "I was about to eat before I saw you, remember? Come on, I'll pay."

He gave her no chance to really object, if only because her stomach reminded her that food was a pretty good idea at the moment.


	3. Chapter 3

**Category:**** Pokémon**

**Rating:**** M **

**Couples:**** Giratina/Rayquaza**

**Warnings:**** Major AU, Blood, Character Death**

**Chapter:**** 2**

**Copyright:**** © characters and places by Nintendo & Game Freak; © Plot and OC's by me**

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Giratina, despite her hunger, had half a mind to just hit him in the face with a Shadow-ball and make a run for it. She really didn't like the thought of having to sit in a cramped human-building, but Rayquaza wouldn't let her wrist go and she just knew Arceus would Judgment her into Kingdom Come if she actually tried to free herself with force.

"You never tried human-food before?" Rayquaza asked, not releasing her wrist, but at least slowing down some. Damn, even as a human, he towered over everyone.

"Why should I?" She answered, tugging on her wrist one last time. "I never saw need for it before."

"You have no idea what you have been missing." He grinned. His eyes just screamed trouble for her.

"Shouldn't Mew be the hyper-active one?" The Renegade-turned-human demanded. "Or did she pass her sugar-hype onto you?"

"No, but I must admit I might have a slight Cotton Candy-addiction." He smiled, chuckling softly. "But I fear you'll murder me should I offer you that."

"Depends on what it is." Giratina glared at him as he pulled her into the restaurant.

"Fluffy, sugary goodness." He chuckled at her disbelieving stare. "Yes, I have to admit, I am beginning to see why Mew likes sugar so much."

"I don't believe this." Giratina groaned. "You and sugar?"

He shrugged, leading her to a free table. "Hidden depths."

"More like Distortion World-level depths..." She countered, taking the chair he offered. "How are we going to pay for this anyway?"

Rayquaza held op a simple black leather wallet. "I have money."

"Do I want to know where you got it?" Giratina watched as he put it away again.

"No." The look in his eyes was one rarely visible in most Legendaries, the Guardians of this World. Only three had it regularly; she herself, he and Kyurem. It was the look of death. Of pasts filled with bloodshed and destruction. Chances were that whoever that wallet had belonged to Rayquaza had ensured would not be able to tell the tale of losing it.

"So, any recommendations for a first-timer?" She asked when they were brought the menu.

"Mmmhhh…" He briefly studied the menu. "Spaghetti Bolognese. I'll take the same."

"And what in Arceus' name is that?" Giratina demanded, looking for the dish in her own menu.

"Not Cotton Candy." He grinned, putting his own menu down. "I swear."

Giratina said nothing as Rayquaza ordered their food.

"When did you first come here?" She demanded as the human-waiter had left.

"The Human-society in general? About four and a half centuries ago." He chuckled. "I was curious as to why Pokémon grew so close to them, how they managed to spread like that over the world."

"Oh?" Giratina rested her chin on her hand, not even turning her gaze from him when their drinks were brought. It unnerved him, seeing those eyes – blood-red in their true form, a reddish orange now that she was human – staring at him as if she was trying to peer into his mind. Of course he knew that her Psychic abilities were far from powerful enough for that, but he still felt a slight shudder run down his back.

"As I said, my home is boring at times." He shrugged. "But humans are quite fascinating when they are not trying to capture me."

"They can be." Giratina nodded in agreement. "Most either want to kill or capture me though."

"Ditto." He snorted. "I have the feeling the only to seek us are the ones who which to abuse us."

Giratina snorted too, frowning as she glared at the table. "Sometimes I wish I was Mew: care-free, always happy and not hunted down solely for her power."

"But you are Giratina." He pointed out. "That has its' perks too."

"Oh yeah?" Now her glare redirected at him. "What would that be? Banished to loneliness, massive, considered evil?"

"Powerful, respected." He countered.

"Who respects me?" She clawed at the table-cloth. "Who the hell respects the Banished Traitor?"

"I do." He evenly stated, freeing the white fabric from between her nails. "Palkia and Dialga do. I am certain others do too."

"Is it respect, or is it fear?" She looked at her hand, caught inside his. Her nails were golden, just like in her true form, and her skin was pale. His hand was dark-skinned with un-colored nails.

"What I feel is respect, I assure you." He answered, his golden eyes looking into her red ones. "I can of course not say anything about the others. Some certainly fear you, Giratina, but I am certain others respect you."

"I have the feeling the fear is more prevalent though." They broke apart when their food arrived. "I didn't mention it during the meeting, neither did Shaymin, but she honestly thought I was about to eat her during that Zero-thing. I needed to frigging die first before she actually calmed down around me enough to realize I didn't want her for dinner."

"I did want Deoxys for dinner." Rayquaza looked ever so slightly contrite. "I was glad he had emptied the city in search of his sister, because I was not about to start caring for humans."

"Not very appropriate." She chuckled at his face, before looking at her food in suspicion. "How do you eat this?" She had the feeling she had just run head-first into a very nasty trap.


	4. Chapter 4

**Category:**** Pokémon**

**Rating:**** M **

**Couples:**** Giratina/Rayquaza**

**Warnings:**** Major AU, Blood, Character Death**

**Chapter:**** 4**

**Copyright:**** © characters and places by Nintendo & Game Freak; © Plot and OC's by me**

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

They parted ways shortly after finishing dinner, Giratina swearing she would never eat Spaghetti again. Rayquaza merely laughed at that, earning himself a punch in the face. Thankfully his human-form skin was still as tough as his Pokémon-form skin, otherwise she might have given him a bloody nose and broken jaw.

He suggested they meet again to see what she would like if she didn't like Spaghetti. She declared him barking mad. He stated he would expect her at the Ferris Wheel in Nimbasa come sundown three days hence.

She surprised herself by actually appearing at the appointed time at the appointed place, easily making out the green human-form of the Ozone dragon.

They spend several months like this, meeting in cities all over the world to avoid detection.

Rayquaza escorted her home whenever they met in Sinnoh, staying quite a few nights in Turnback Cave. At first, they only talked. Then they cuddled up close.

Then they got trapped in the first room of Giratina's home after leaving the meeting they had just attended.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"I am telling you, those two are together." Mew countered, arguing for the umpteenth time with Victini. "Have you ever seen Giratina smile before?"

"Considering I was stuck in the Vale for over a thousand years, I am happy to know who we are talking about." The Victory Pokémon frowned at the pink kitten-like Pokémon. "But I tell you, those two just can't be together. If the stories are to be believed they're just like Kyurem and he's just impossible to be around for longer than a few minutes. They'd kill each other in moments."

"They're not that bad." Mew mumbled, crossing his arms. "But Groudon agrees with me."

"Groudon would even agree with you if you told him he is a water-type." Kyogre piped into their conversation.

"I heard that!" The massive Ground-Pokémon called from across the room. The four of them and Lugia and Heatran were the only ones left, the rest had already left after yet another meeting that had resulted in a heated argument between Kyurem and Arceus.

"At any rate…" Mew looked from the two rival Legendaries who had now started their own argument back to Victini. "They are not as bad as Kyurem in a whole host of things, so that should be no problem in regards to whether they are together or not."

The two small Pokémon kept arguing back and forth as they left the Hall.

By the time they reached Eindoak Town, they were still arguing fiercely over the possibility of the two dragons being together.


	5. Chapter 5

**Category:**** Pokémon**

**Rating:**** M **

**Couples:**** Giratina/Rayquaza**

**Warnings:**** Major AU, Blood, Character Death**

**Chapter:**** 5**

**Copyright:**** © characters and places by Nintendo & Game Freak; © Plot and OC's by me**

**Author's note:**** Merry Christmas! Or the appropriate equivalent of your belief-system. :D**

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

It had hurt so much. Giratina had only felt such pain once before: when that accursed Zero caught her with his Megarig. The energy-draining she had suffered then – and which nearly killed her – had hurt just as much as this did now.

She wasn't entirely sure what had happened, but what she did know told her they were in deep, deep trouble.

She and Rayquaza had entered Turnback Cave, intend on using its' entrance to the Distortion World to shortcut to Johto for a cozy evening in Goldenrod City, but in the very first room a trap had activated. She had screamed then, a sound she rarely made. Rayquaza instead had roared in anger, shaking the rock with the reverberations of the sound he produced.

It seemed that someone had found the plans of the Megarig and had improved on them.

First there was pain, and then there was nothing. After that was captivity.

The room was cold, both in feeling and in actual temperature. In fact, one could see the breaths of the scientists working in the room with the two Legendaries.

They locked Rayquaza up, using powerful mechanical arms to keep him in place. They left her in the modified force-cage, much to the fury of the other Legendary.

He Hyper-beamed a substantial part of the facility before they managed to knock him out and force his mouth shut permanently.

Had the situation been different, she would have thought it sweet that he was so protective of her. But in light of their current whereabouts she was more concerned with getting out, something that proved impossible for her to do. She couldn't move her body and the force-cage kept her from gathering her energy to launch an attack.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

The skies were calm overhead. Kyogre surfaced for a short while to look up at the few clouds. Since a few months Rayquaza had graced Hoenn with wonderful weather, not too much rain, not too much sun.

Heck, she could bet her life on it she had even heard him whistle as he passed her once! Rayquaza and whistle was a concept that seemed as foreign to her as Groudon taking a swim. Her eyes narrowed as she dove into the depths of the ocean again, going down almost vertically as she did so.

She had heard the argument between Mew and Victini a few weeks ago, and she had to agree with the pink feline to some degree: Rayquaza definitely was in a relationship. Though she doubted that it would be Giratina of all Legendaries, he was behaving just too weirdly to NOT have something going on.

Her eyes narrowed when she felt something quite a distance away, near the uninhabited Northern coast of the mainland of the region. A volcano was erupting, slowly but surely rising to above the surface of the sea.

Was Groudon really at it again? She snarled, changing course to get there as fast as possible.

Her markings glowed with her anger as she cut through the wide expanse of her domain, the volcano long dormant again, but the island remaining like a sore.

Several hours later she surfaced, looking at the barren mountain peeking just over the waves. It wasn't much: one or two good waves and it'd be gone. That didn't stop the fact that her bastard counterpart had made an island just like that while they had come to the damn agreement to not change the current distribution of land and sea.

Her anger turned into worry when she saw his massive form on the nearby beach. The Distortion World was going on here?

"Groudon?" She surfaced at talking-distance of the beach. "What is going on?"

"Can you turn human?" He counter-asked. "I need to show you something on land."

That was when her alarm-bells turned into alarm-sirens.


	6. Chapter 6

**Category:**** Pokémon**

**Rating:**** M **

**Couples:**** Giratina/Rayquaza**

**Warnings:**** Major AU, Blood, Character Death**

**Chapter:**** 6**

**Copyright:**** © characters and places by Nintendo & Game Freak; © Plot and OC's by me**

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

He led her deep into Hoenn, far from the sea and into the mountains.

"What the crap do you want to show me that is this important?" She complained, frowning as she sat on his shoulder.

He stopped, turning his head towards her and then towards to the sky. "This." He gestured around with his massive claws. "What do you feel in the air?"

She hopped off as he turned human himself to attract less attention. "Nothing, why?"

"Because that is the problem." Groudon frowned. "We are several miles from Verdanturf Town. There should be wind blowing away from it at all times, but those winds died out. The weather is wonderful, but there are no winds. I have no clue what Rayquaza thinks he's doing."

Kyogre frowned, her sea-blue eyes darkening as she realized he was right: despite there being clouds overhead, down here there was not even a hint of wind.

"How long has it been like this?" She asked. Because she lived in the sea, she rarely got to the surface and had no clue as to what was going on above it most of the time.

"A few weeks at the very least." He frowned too as he told her. "I left my cave about a week ago and then I noticed. I asked some of the Pokémon – those that didn't run when seeing me, at any rate – and apparently it has been like this for a few weeks. First only in a few places, but by now it apparently has spread all over Hoenn."

"What do you think happened?" She wondered. "He never did something like this before."

"It can't be much good." He looked at the few clouds overhead. "That's why I called you like that: I can't reach Sky Pillar on account of it being in the frigging ocean."

"Does that mean I have to carry your human form the entire way?" She groaned softly. "Rayquaza better have a damn good reason for this, otherwise I will give him one."

"Look at it this way: I had to carry you around, so we are even." He grinned at her angry expression. "Come on, the longer we stay here, the longer it'll take before you can kick his ass."

"You think this to be way more fun than you should, don't you?" She growled, snarling outright when his wide and amused grin told her all she needed to know.

"Hey, it's not often that you carry me around, no?"

Kyogre swore right there and then that she would drown him as soon as he wanted to get back to the mainland, Arceus and Rayquaza be damned.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Groudon easily climbed from her back to the island that held Sky Pillar, waiting until she had turned human to join him. In the distance ships passed by, none of them paying any head to the humans on the rocky island.

"Let's go then." He walked up the stairs leading to the tower, his counterpart walking just a bit behind him.

They easily scared away any wild Pokémon who thought about attacking them, making their way to the top of the building easily, even if Groudon once fell through one of the weaker parts of the tower, much to Kyogre's amusement.

After accusing her of throwing him down deliberately he climbed back up the set of stairs to join her again, looking decidedly more put-off than he had done before. Kyogre felt much happier after that.

Well, up until they both reached the upper floor of the tower and found it empty.

"Isn't he always here?" Kyogre asked, looking around.

"Pretty much…" Groudon frowned and turned into his true form again. "Yet he hasn't been here for weeks, if the rocks are to be believed."

"Seriously?" She demanded in horror.

"I can keep track of my own element, thank you very much…" He muttered briefly. "But yes, seriously… He was not here for weeks."

"We need to get to Sinnoh." She stated.

"What?" He turned human again, staring at her. "And leave Hoenn just like that? Why would we need to get to Sinnoh to find him?"

"There are rumors Rayquaza has something with Giratina. If anyone aside from us knows where he might be, it might just be her." The Basin Pokémon explained.

"You don't actually believe that, do you?" Her counterpart demanded incredulously.

"Do you have a better idea?" She demanded in turn. "Now come on, it's already far enough that it'll take us a while to get there without you arguing with me here."


	7. Chapter 7

**Category:**** Pokémon**

**Rating:**** M**

**Couples:**** Giratina/Rayquaza**

**Warnings:**** Major AU, Blood, Character Death**

**Chapter:**** 7**

**Copyright:**** © characters and places by Nintendo & Game Freak; © Plot and OC's by me**

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

He looked up weakly as commotion came from outside the room they had been trapped inside for weeks now. The only door leading in or out was just beside Giratina, who was still trapped in the energy-field. She had stopped moving altogether several days ago, only her weak breathing assuring him they had not yet killed her. A bit further was the glass tube in which a single egg rested. It looked terribly bland if one considered what was inside it: it was white with green fields, an unfertilized egg of some other Pokémon. But Team Rocket had genetically engineered the embryo in it to hold DNA of two other parents: the two Legendaries. He didn't know if it had worked, his brain burning with a terrible fever caused by a severe lack of many nutrients he found only in his ozone home.

The commotion grew louder, the sounds of attacks echoing in the halls leading to the room. Humans screamed. He growled as the battle got closer and the commotion got worse. The door was barred, steel bars holding the doors closed. They stood no chance against what wanted in: Pokémon Rangers with their Pokémon.

When the chains opened, he crashed to the ground, too weak to hold himself aloft. A Ranger stopped at a respectful distance, his Alakazam standing behind him.

"The wild Pokémon felt problems in the air and warned us." The young woman said. "May we help you and Giratina?" Behind her several Pokémon helped gently lower the Renegade to the ground.

Rayquaza studied her and nodded. She reverently came forward to use healing-items on the Sky High Pokémon.

"Look at this!" One of her comrades pointed at the egg. "What is this?"

Giratina seemed to wake at that, weakly calling out.

"It's our egg." Rayquaza told the Alakazam. "Give it to me." This was something they would have to think about. If the egg had been successfully fertilized, they would have to think about what to do with the hatchling. But neither was in any state for that at the moment.

The Alakazam obeyed, breaking the glass and using his Telekinese to reverently bring it to the strengthened Dragon.

"Tell the Rangers they have my gratitude for saving us." Rayquaza held the egg with one hand, with the other he gently touched Giratina as he talked to the Alakazam who obediently translated for the Legendary.

Giratina managed to get back to her feet, but she was unstable.

"Can you open a Distortion Gate for us?" He asked softly.

She looked at him, then the egg in his hand. She nodded.

The two Legendaries nodded in gratitude to the humans and then Giratina opened a gate to the Distortion World on the shiny surface of the metal walls.

He had to carry her through it to Turnback Cave. He hid the egg in her world as he carried her to her cave. There they both rested, praying that no Trainer would come to challenge them: neither had the strength left to defend themselves.

"I hate this place." A woman's voice echoed in the cave. "It drives me nuts."

Giratina was unconscious and Rayquaza weakened gravely, but still he roared, dragging himself in front of her body. Instead of deterring the woman, it seemed to spur her on as he could hear her running closer now. Another set of feet sounded through now.

They entered the room, freezing at what they saw: Giratina unconscious on the ground and Rayquaza shielding her while being too weak to fly himself.

He growled and slammed his tail on the ground.

"Woah, it's us: Groudon and Kyogre!" The male screamed, turned back into his Legendary-form before their trio-member attacked. Groudon raised his claws. "What happened to you two?"

Rayquaza looked at them, nearly collapsing in relief. "Team Rocket captured us. We only just escaped a few hours ago. Giratina needs healing."

"They what?" The woman exclaimed, running around him to look at the Renegade Legendary. "Oh… Arceus…" She gasped.

"You stay with them." She told the Ground-type Legendary. "I'll get some Psychic-Legendaries to get them to the Hall."

He nodded in agreement, looking in worry at their comrades as she ran outside to warn the other Legendaries.


	8. Chapter 8

**Category:**** Pokémon**

**Rating:**** M**

**Couples:**** Giratina/Rayquaza**

**Warnings:**** Major AU, Blood, Character Death**

**Chapter:**** 8**

**Copyright:**** © characters and places by Nintendo & Game Freak; © Plot and OC's by me**

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Giratina did not wake for several days and Rayquaza too was too weak to fly for the better part of a week. The other Legendaries were not amused about what had happened to say the least. The fact that two of their number – two STRONG ones even – had been trapped for months without anyone noticing their absence hurt their pride.

Particularly the remaining Trio-members of both called for a display of power and most importantly vengeance.

Giratina woke up when that argument was going down, resting on a bed big enough to hold several of the big Legendaries with ease.

"How are you?" Rayquaza rested on a bed beside hers. "I was worried when you took so long to wake."

"I had better days." She groaned, holding her head with one wing. "What happened after we got out of there?"

"I managed to get you to Turnback Cave. Apparently Kyogre and Groudon were about to visit you, because they found us soon afterwards. We're at the Hall of Origin now." He dragged himself off his bed towards hers. "You were unconscious for days."

She looked on as he curled around her, one of his arms lightly resting on her back.

"And I guess you were worried?" She smiled shyly.

"Very." He admitted, his arm rubbing her cool skin and his tail squeezing her lightly. "And a host of the others too."

"Oh?" She looked up at him in surprise.

"Yes. I told you that you were respected. Loved even." He grinned. "Particularly Dialga and Palkia are calling for vengeance out there." He pointed to the door with his other hand. "And Arceus looked ready to grand it to them when we were brought in."

She smiled lightly at that, her eyes softening. Then they widened.

"What about…?" She did not come further than those two words, his hand slapping in front of her mouth.

"Distortion World." He merely answered, throwing a pointed look to the door. "They don't know."

A shudder ran through her body as she looked at him with her wine-red eyes opened wide. Then she nodded solemnly. She rested her upper body against his, sighing softly.

They listened to the argument fizzle out without saying another word.

"What shall we do?" She whispered eventually, looking out the window to see her direct siblings fly out. They didn't look like they were aiming for their own dimensions.

"Let's get better first." He suggested, carefully brushing his hand over a raw spot just above her shoulders. She flinched at the move, hissing softly in pain. "It should still be quite a while."

She nodded, curling up to rest some more.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

They returned to their respective homes a week later. Rayquaza had barely said goodbye to Kyogre and reached the top of Sky Pillar when a swirling black and purple vortex appeared beneath him.

Undaunted he dove into it, coming face to face with Giratina's Origin Forme.

"You wasted no time." He smiled, brushing his body against hers in greeting.

"There are already cracks in the egg." She answered, unrolling one of her wings gently. Nestled in the black membrane was the egg, cracks covering its' upper half. "I think it made the decision for us."

"That was fast." Rayquaza studied the egg, gently touching it. Another crack appeared where his claw made contact.

"Yes." She agreed, cradling it in several of her wings. "What shall we do?"

"We can't just keep it." He mused. "Legendaries are not exactly meant to increase their numbers and it is a creation of Team Rocket to booth."

"Yet it is life." She countered, looking as another crack appeared. "We did not end Mewtwo either, did we? How can this Pokémon be any different from him?"

"She is not Mew's descendant." Rayquaza whispered.

"Neither are Porygon and dozen others." Giratina snarled. "This is our child, Ray. Tell me you are not seriously contemplating killing it."

"I am not. But you as well as I know that particularly Kyurem will not look kindly upon it." He looked over to the ice crystals floating in the Distortion World.

"Then we hide it until it can defend itself." Giratina stated. "Perhaps send it to Mewtwo? He would not turn down a chance to help someone."

"And his experience can be helpful." The Sky High Pokémon agreed.


	9. Chapter 9

**Category:**** Pokémon**

**Rating:**** M**

**Couples:**** Giratina/Rayquaza**

**Warnings:**** Major AU, Blood, Character Death**

**Chapter:**** 9**

**Copyright:**** © characters and places by Nintendo & Game Freak; © Plot and OC's by me**

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

They curled up on one of the many islands, resting the egg in front of them. Rayquaza leaned on Giratina's more massive body, alternating between looking at her and looking at the egg.

He reached out, gently letting his tongue caress her flesh between the golden armor. She shivered under the touch, her mask open lightly to let a sigh escape her lips.

He glanced at the egg again, his keen senses telling him it would still be at least an hour before it hatched. Plenty of time…

With one hand he held her crest, with the other he caressed the skin between her golden ribs. Her black wings wrapped around his body, red eyes holding his gaze.

Their bodies entwined, simply savoring the closeness of the other. Occasionally he would let his tongue dance over her skin, but they mostly rested together, tightly woven together as they waited for the hatching of the egg.

"Any idea for a name?" Giratina finally broke the silence, looking at him as he nibbled at her chest.

"No." He simply answered, finding far more pull in her near sinful taste then the thought of their child.

"Rayquaza." She squirmed, but he held her tightly in his coils. "Stop it for a moment."

He relented, refocusing his attention with a sigh. "I do not know. Something that reflects us both? Something that draws no parallels?" He looked at the egg, occasionally flashing with a white light now. "Let's see what gender it is first and how it looks." He suggested in the end, remembering only too well how Mewtwo was very different from Mew, both in looks and behavior.

She nodded, unwinding herself to get a closer look to the egg which had begun to glow completely now.

When the glow faded a dark-green snake rested curled up in the grass. Black membranes rested on her body and Giratina was surprised to notice she had a gold mask too, even though it was formed far differently than that of her mother: it were two spikes on each side, pointing backwards. Three golden bands surrounded the end of her tail, while the black membranes – wings, she now realized – came from a thicker one at about one third of the snake's length.

The little one yawned, looking around with drowsy eyes. She looked up at the massive basilisk looking at her, her red eyes widening as she saw herself mirrored in the smooth gold of Giratina's mask.

The two parts slowly slid open. "Hello, my daughter." Giratina softly spoke.

"Mama…?" The hatchling uncurled, reaching for the Renegade Pokémon.

Giratina leaned down, nudging the small Pokémon. "Yes, I am your mama."

Her head was like that of Raquaza, with long jaws that she now opened wide in a grin. "Mama!" Most hatchlings would have cowered from the Ruler of the Distortion World, but this young one recognized her as her mother almost immediately.

"How about Morothrea?" Rayquaza leaned forward, looking at the surprised snake with a strange softness in his eyes.

"Yes… Yes." Giratina agreed with him, that same softness being in her eyes also. "Morothrea, my little Morothrea."

Both of them were among the most violent of the Legendaries and Rayquaza had never even thought himself capable of the soft touch he bestowed upon that young Pokémon who studied the grass intently. She flicked her tail forward, hitting some of the blades. She meeped when they came right back, shooting to her mother for cover.

Giratina chuckled, rubbing her head with one of her wings. "Don't be scared. There is nothing in here you need to fear."

Morothrea looked up at them with wide eyes. She looked far more innocent then her heritage would make you assume.

"Your mother is right." Rayquaza uncoiled himself fully from Giratina, floating to lie in front of her, their daughter now nestled between their bodies. "You never need to feel fear in this world."

Then the young child beamed, smiling up at the two towering over her. She yawned and curled up against her mother. Hatching was tiring…


	10. Chapter 10

**Category:**** Pokémon**

**Rating:**** M**

**Couples:**** Giratina/Rayquaza**

**Warnings:**** Major AU, Blood, Character Death**

**Chapter:**** 9**

**Copyright:**** © characters and places by Nintendo & Game Freak; © Plot and OC's by me**

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Like all new-hatched Pokémon Morothrea went through a massive grow-spurt to reach her full size. The next time Rayquaza visited the Distortion World she was already half his length, even though she had stopped growing several days beforehand.

Despite being dwarfed by her parents Giratina seemed almost fearful around the young Pokémon.

"It are her powers." She told him later, after Morothrea had gone for a flight through the Distortion World. "They are like Mewtwo's were in the beginning: strong and very dependent on her emotion."

"And that is a problem how?" He asked, floating beside her above one of the Distortion World's 'cities'.

"Come, I'll show you." Giratina lead him to an island separate from the others. It was barren, only a few withered trees pointing up from the soil. "This was an island like any other, until our daughter threw a tantrum and even changed forms."

"She did this?" Rayquaza stared at the trees, carefully reaching out to one with his tail. Upon touch, it fell apart into dust.

"The entire island is completely devoid of life. The corresponding region in the Upper World will not be any different." Giratina nodded. "She killed the very soil, Rayquaza, not just the plants on top of it. It will take years for it to recover naturally."

"Oh Arceus…" He breathed.

"And it gets worse." Giratina interrupted his line of thought. "She felt it too. She basically killed herself a million times during that one tantrum. I have no clue what Team Rocket created there, but I am sure as Distortion World that it isn't much good. You should have seen her afterwards: she was devastated. Not to mention traumatized to no end."

He said nothing, flying low over the island, his keen eyes scanning the ground.

"This is concerning to say the least." He looked into the distance where he could just make out the form of his daughter.

"What would she be capable off when she is at full strength, I wonder?" Giratina agreed, following his line of sight.

"Much…" He frowned. "But it comes at a prize she rarely will be willing to pay, thank Arceus."

"I am sure he had nothing to do with this." Giratina dryly answered. "Only humans."

"I shall not thank them for this." He growled. "What were they thinking?"

"What's the best power to rule the world." Giratina would have shrugged had she had shoulders. "Perhaps you should talk to her. She won't listen to me: she wants to leave. Thinks it'd be better if she left."

"What?" He demanded incredulously.

"I told her about Mewtwo, she wants to go to him now." Giratina lowered her eyes. "She wants to stay away from places that she could majorly disrupt. The Distortion World is important, and all too easily damaged."

"If her mind is set, I don't think I could do much to change her opinion." Rayquaza sadly said, leaving the Renegade's side.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"Morothrea." She looked up when she heard her name, spoken by a voice she had only heard once before.

"Dad." She smiled, flying up to him, her black wings flapping lightly as she did so.

His clawed hand pushed her head so they were looking at each other. "Your mother said you wished to leave."

"Yes." She nodded, her eyes open as she looked at him. He saw straight through them into her heart, saw fear and horror in their blood-red depths. She had horrified herself when she threw that tantrum, and not all of it stemmed from her feeling the death she had sown. Quite a part came from how close she had brought her mother to dying, her powers out of control and wild.

"Are you certain about this?" Behind them the air stirred, Giratina rising up beside the Sky High Pokémon, the black wings of her Origin form floating around her.

"Yes." He had rarely seen such determination before and he knew he would not be able to stop her from this path. He knew Giratina knew that too.

"Though it hurts us, we shall accept your decision." He breathed. "But you must remember that you will always have a safe haven with either of us, even if Arceus himself is hunting you down."

"The Distortion World will always be open to you." Giratina added. "Remember that, my little one."

She nodded, tears forming in her eyes.


	11. Chapter 11

**nCategory:**** Pokémon**

**Rating:**** M**

**Couples:**** Giratina/Rayquaza**

**Warnings:**** Major AU, Blood, Character Death**

**Chapter:**** 11**

**Copyright:**** © characters and places by Nintendo & Game Freak; © Plot and OC's by me**

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

They had pointed her to Kanto, to a rock-formation named the Tree of Beginning. That was where Mewtwo was currently residing with his sister Mew.

Morothrea marveled at the world she was passing through… everything was so different from the Distortion World. It almost terrified her to see such… order in things. The trees only grew in one direction, and not a single rock was floating.

Someone was watching her. She wheeled around, having half a mind just to send a Hyper Beam out. After catching sight of the watcher she was glad she hadn't. Cruising above her, far beyond the eyesight of the humans, was her father. He was definitely following her, apparently making sure she would get to the Tree safely. She couldn't help but smile at that.

She turned again, flying in the clouds to hide her passing from those down below. She should have taken her mother's offer of a gate in a pool near the Tree.

Something pulled her down. A feeling of warmth and security… She dove through the clouds, peeking at what was beneath her. Her red eyes widened at the sight, and forgetting every sensible thought she descended even more, silently gaping.

It was a tree out of stone, carrying normal trees all over its' surface. It was the Tree of Beginning. She looked up one last time, but the clouds hid her father from her eyes. Had he left since she had reached her goal?

She carefully wound her way through the trees, marveling at how different they were from those she had grown up with. Even the grass was not like she was used to. The color was different and these blades were much suppler than those in the Distortion World. The flaps of her wings rustled the leaves overhead and soft whacks sounded whenever she hit them against something.

She was so focused on the plants surrounding her she completely missed the Pokémon cowering away as she passed by. Though not having an Aura as dark as her mother's or as bloodthirsty as her father's, her own still spoke of Death, especially after that episode just last week when she wrecked one of the islands floating in her mother's home. She shuddered at the memory. The feeling of that incident still haunted her. To die, over and over again…

"And who are you?" A voice demanded, interrupting her trip down memory-lane.

She turned, coming face to face with a pinkish kitten-like Pokémon: Mew. "I am Morothrea. My parents send me here to look for Mewtwo."

"And what kind of Pokémon are you?" Mew circled her, her long tail floating behind her. "I have given birth to every kind of Pokémon, but I do not know you."

Lies would not get her far. "I was made by Team Rocket."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

The forest inside the tree was more to her liking, the cover overhead reminding her of the Distortion World.

"Over there." Mew led her to a lake in the distance. Her sky-blue eyes seemed to have grown more piercing as they entered the vast cave-system. "Brother!" She called out as they approached.

"What?" Came the dry answer. "And who is that?" Morothrea looked around, but couldn't see anyone.

"She claims to be like you." Mew stated, crossing her tiny arms. "Created by Team Rocket."

Morothrea would later swear she had not even blinked, yet one moment she was looking around her still and the next her eyes saw only purple light as she felt something slither through her mind. Almost instinctively she revolted, pushing against the presence with all her might.

As suddenly as it appeared, it was gone.

"She spoke the truth." Someone else was standing in front of her now, looking at her with unreadable purple eyes.

"You're Mewtwo?" Morothrea studied him.

"Yes, and you are Morothrea." He answered.

"You fished that out of my mind just now, didn't you?" She demanded, frowning now.

"No, your mother told me you would come. But I had to be certain it was you before accepting your story." He smiled gently at the pine-green snake. He carefully reached out, resting his bulbous fingers on her cheek. "You don't mind that, do you?"

Morothrea shook her head, wondering exactly how much her mother had told him.


	12. Chapter 12

**Category:**** Pokémon**

**Rating:**** M**

**Couples:**** Giratina/Rayquaza**

**Warnings:**** Major AU, Blood, Character Death**

**Chapter:**** 12**

**Copyright:**** © characters and places by Nintendo & Game Freak; © Plot and OC's by me**

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

He showed her around the World, teaching her how to use her powers while he was at it. Though she refrained from using her Signature Move, something he did not understand at all.

She refused to explain it to him, merely stating that she felt far from ready to use it. For a short while he contemplated simply sneaking into her mind to find out, but he quickly discarded that thought. He wouldn't live long if he tried that: sometimes he would see reflections in the lakes and other shiny places they visited. They were of Giratina, who in no uncertain terms told him that she would end him if Morothrea ended up hurt while in his care.

While training her, he found she lacked much of her mother's personality, reminding him more of Land forme Shaymin than of the Ruler of the Distortion World.

Which worried him far more was the 'why' of her creation. Why had Team Rocket made her? So far, he had seen little worth making her for. She was not strong for something coming from a Legendary, not to mention that she was too meek to even train properly. If he had not been told that she had been made with Giratina's DNA, he would have never believed her to be a Legendary.

He watched her play when he first got a hint of the why. The young Pokémon in particular liked to play with the big pearls on her wings, batting at them.

But there was one, a young Aerodactyl, who did not accept a no when given to him. He would play with them even when Morothrea had clearly indicated she did not want him to anymore.

Then came the moment her patience ran out and her heritage showed: instead of reprimanding him, she very nearly attacked him, just as Giratina would have done.

The pearls on her wings, perfect gold and the size of a melon, flashed with the purple aura of the Ghost-types. A purple mist covered her and when he could finally make out her form again, she had changed forms. Not as much as her mother did, but the spikes of her golden mask now pointed forward and the rings at the end of her tail now were long spikes. But the most obvious change was in her wings, who had split into six, each tipped with one of the pearls.

"I said Enough!" Even her voice was not the same, now thundering in the skulls of those hearing her. Her narrowed red eyes burned with fury as she regarded the Aerodactyl, who cowered away from her.

As sudden as the change had come over her it disappeared again and she returned back to normal. But it had been there long enough for both Mew and Mewtwo to realize her potential. In terms of raw power in that form she was definitely somewhere among the upper half of the Legendaries.

They shared a concerned glance as she flew off, leaving the children to their own devices.

"What has been unleashed?" Mew softly wondered, her playful demeanor gone as she looked at the serpentine form gliding through the air.

"Something on par with me." Mewtwo rose to his feet. "I think a visit with the Distortion World is in order."

His sister nodded, flying off herself to calm the children.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"Giratina!" Mewtwo called, carefully navigating through Turnback Cave. "Where are you?"

"What do you want?" Behind him the shadows darkened, a monstrous form rising from them.

"What is your daughter?" He demanded in return, glaring at her. "What am I taking care off? Did you see what she did today?"

"The Aerodactyl had it coming." Came the answer from behind an unreadable golden mask.

"By Arceus, Giratina, do you have any idea what I felt when she shifted forms?" Mewtwo asked, disbelief coloring his face and filling his voice. "What is she?"

"My child." The basilisk coolly stated. "She only uses that form in battle, Mewtwo, and it is only then that she can use her Signature Move. Of course she will feel more powerful then."

"You are evading the question." He glared at her, undaunted by the fact that she towered over him.

"And you expect too much of me." She countered, seemingly ignoring his glare. "I have told you all you need to know. The rest is up to Morothrea herself. I will not live her life for her."


	13. Chapter 13

**Category:**** Pokémon**

**Rating:**** M**

**Couples:**** Giratina/Rayquaza**

**Warnings:**** Major AU, Blood, Character Death**

**Chapter:**** 13**

**Copyright:**** © characters and places by Nintendo & Game Freak; © Plot and OC's by me**

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

To say that he was vexed over Giratina's position in regard to her daughter would be an understatement. On one hand she wanted to keep the girl safe, on the other she did not wish to meddle in any way. Two entirely different views he found hard to combine, yet that is exactly what Giratina intended to do.

But as he returned to the Tree of Beginning, he forgot all about the Renegade when Mew told him that Morothrea had left the Tree to go Arceus-knows-where. He just knew Giratina would blame him.

He quickly flew outside, scanning the surrounding lands for the young Legendary. He found her high above him, almost above the ozone layer. What the heck was she doing there? More importantly, how could she survive that?

He followed her up quickly, a protective bubble around him not only to protect him from the cold and low pressure, but also to drag a good bit of oxygen along as well.

"Morothrea!" He called out the moment he saw her serpentine form. She did not react as he repeated her name, only looking at him when he flew beside her. "You shouldn't be up here."

"Why not?" She looked up. So high above ground one could always see the stars, even during the day. "I like stars, don't you?"

"The stars are not worth risking yourself over." He gently admonished. "It is freezing up here."

"It's not that bad." She countered, looking at her wings. The thin membranes were without frost and as supple as if she was on solid ground. "I can handle it."

"Are you sure?" Because he certainly wasn't. True, Giratina could handle a lot of things, but he was not so certain about how much her daughter could handle. Neither was he willing to find out like this.

"Very." She answered.

Both fell silent after that, Mewtwo occasionally peeking at the pine-green snake beside him. She wasn't shivering at least.

"I probably should go back and apologize to that Aerodactyl, no?" She broke the silence, looking over at him.

"Perhaps it would be better if you stayed away for a while. You terrified him." The male answered. "I do not know what I felt, but even I was afraid for a bit."

"I was afraid too." She surprised him with those words. "It is so… easy to lose control. And I did that once. I cannot do it again."

"Why is that?" He carefully prodded, worried at the emotions he could feel brewing in her mind.

"I went too far." She turned away. "What did Mother tell you about me?"

"That you were her daughter, made from her DNA by Team Rocket as I was from Mew's. That you had lived with her in the Distortion World, but that you wished to leave it for reasons that were and are your own. That your second form is only used in battle and that it is only then you can use your Signature Move." He told her.

"Nothing else?" It was her turn to be surprised.

"When I asked her, she said she would not live your life for you and that it was up to you who knew how much about you." He moved closer, enveloping her in his protective bubble as he carefully rested his hand on her mask. "And I respect that."

Her blood-red eyes regarded him in silence. "Give me some alone-time." She softly asked. "I must think about much."

"Will you return? I swore to your mother I would keep you safe." Mewtwo let his hand fall down again.

"Yes." Morothrea nodded. "A week from now."

"I will keep you to that." He answered before descending back to the Tree. As he looked up once more, her form was shooting off towards the South. He wondered where she was going.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Rayquaza looked up in surprise when he felt the presence of his daughter near Sky Pillar. "Morothrea?" He called out, uncoiling to look up at the sky.

"Yes." Smoothly coming from between several rocks, she approached him, her wings wrapped around her so tightly it was as if they did not exist. "Can I talk to you?"

"Certainly. Though not here. There are too many ears here." He looked at the entrance to the lower levels of the tower. "Let us go to the Ozone Layer."

She nodded and followed him up. They flew up side by side, the air around them steadily growing colder.

"Here there is peace." He stated, going from a climb to a rest. "What did you need to talk to me about?"

"Who knows of me?" She demanded softly, slowly flapping her wings to stay on the same level as her father.

"Mew, Mewtwo, you, I, your mother…" Rayquaza counted. "And a bunch of Rangers might suspect something. From what I was told I gather your uncles and aunts killed Team Rocket to the last after that last episode. Why do you ask?"

"You know what happened today?" She looked down, seeing only clouds beneath them.

"The Aerodactyl-thing? Yes, your mother told me." He rested his claw under her face to force her to look at him. "Remarkable control, I have to say. She and I would probably have blasted the hatchling."

"Mewtwo was afraid of what he felt with me. Didn't you warn him?" She looked at him.

"He does not even know I am involved in your creation – though no doubt he might suspect it – but your mother has told him nothing of your powers. In your case, showing them is an act of trust."

She nodded again. "When will you tell the others about me?"

"When you are more secure in your powers and control thereof." He said, crossing his arms. "In other words, when you are ready to face them, whenever that may be."


	14. Chapter 14

**Category:**** Pokémon**

**Rating:**** M**

**Couples:**** Giratina/Rayquaza**

**Warnings:**** Major AU, Blood, Character Death**

**Chapter:**** 14**

**Copyright:**** © characters and places by Nintendo & Game Freak; © Plot and OC's by me**

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

When the pine-green snake returned to the Tree of Beginning she was far quieter than he had ever seen her. It unnerved him that he would always encounter her in deep contemplation, staring straight ahead with a concentration even Psychic-types would be hard-pressed to match.

"What are you thinking about?" He eventually asked her.

"Who I am." She answered evenly. "Did you ever find your purpose?"

"Not exactly." He wondered what had brought this on. "It might take time."

"I think I know mine already." Morothrea looked at him. "I don't like it. I really, really don't like what Team Rocket saddled me up with here."

"Did that week away not help?" He looked her over in worry.

"Not with that." She growled lightly, wrapping her wings around her tightly. "You can read my mind and take memories, can't you?"

"I can, but I don't do it without permission without good reason." He assured her quickly.

"You wouldn't live if you had done any different." She smiled weakly. "Want to know what I got saddled up with?"

Her mind was shielded from him, if simply because he did not venture inward. But her eyes, blood-red and shining, were as unguarded as they had always been. He wondered if she would ever learn to hide her emotions, or if they would always stay so open.

"I'd prefer if you just told me." He softly said after a bit of contemplation.

"And I think no words would properly confer it." She countered, looking away from him again. She closed her eyes. "I feel it when I sleep. I dream about it. If I didn't know better, I'd assume Darkrai is after me."

"If he was, Giratina would have murdered him a dozen times over." The Psychic-type joked. It came out strained.

"She's not exactly a very active mother." Morothrea mused. "But better that than being cuddled and such. I don't think I could use that in my situation."

He stopped himself from stating that perhaps a bit of cuddling would be better than Giratina's complete absence of her daughter's life. He hadn't seen her in reflections for weeks now.

He caught her staring at him, for the first time ever her eyes being unreadable mirrors.

"It's strange, isn't it?" She mused, turning away. "Two Legendary-clones, one born by Life, the other by Death." She chuckled. "I wonder who of us is stronger…"

"If your reaction to fighting is any indication, we will never find out." He stated, crossing his arms as he regarded her.

"I do not fear fighting." She countered. "I fear attacking." She stretched out her wing to him. "Feel."

One of these days, he knew he would regret agreeing to Giratina's request of taking care of Morothrea. He did not want to know, and yet he was dying to know.

Her wing felt like silk, smooth and cool. Her mind was open as he carefully reached for it. She in turn closed her eyes and he saw her sifting through her memories for the one she wanted him to feel.

He was unprepared.

He felt life: trees with ages of growth behind them standing tall and proud. The soil teemed with life.

He became one with it, submerging himself so much in it that he couldn't say what was them and what was him.

He felt the water run through the tiny vessels of the trees, felt the air enter and leave their leaves.

…

It stopped. The water came to a grinding halt, the air passed through browned leaves. The soil became dust and the trees fell apart, as if they had never existed. No, HE fell apart. His blood stopped. He withered like a flower in the desert.

And he screamed, for the first time in his life, in horror and sheer despair.


	15. Chapter 15

**Category:**** Pokémon**

**Rating:**** M**

**Couples:**** Giratina/Rayquaza**

**Warnings:**** Major AU, Blood, Character Death**

**Chapter:**** 15**

**Copyright:**** © characters and places by Nintendo & Game Freak; © Plot and OC's by me**

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

It was several days later and Mewtwo was still traumatized by what had happened. Morothrea had disappeared again, this time without any promises of her return. Mew contacted Giratina almost immediately afterwards, partly to find out where Morothrea had gone and partly to find out what she had done to Mewtwo.

On neither part the Renegade was very helpful, though she did assure her fellow Legendary that the clone would be fine.

"Memories only hurt for a short while." She said, looking almost bored as she faced the pink kitten through the portal. "I'll start worrying if he still is like that by the end of the week."

"That is helping me very little." Mew frowned, then gasped when Giratina ignored her and cut the connection. "I hate her…"

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"You think she will ever return?" Rayquaza looked from the crystal to the Legendary beside them. Their daughter had been travelling the world for years now, never staying anywhere longer than to sleep and eat. Worst of all, she was actively evading the two of them, fleeing whenever one of them drew near.

"Not for a long time." Giratina's face was hidden by her golden mask as she kept her eyes on the crystals in which her daughter was reflected. "She is lost."

He knew she did not mean literally lost, only proverbial.

"How can we help her if she runs from herself?" He wondered, frowning as he fully turned away now. Giratina followed him in silence, her six wings streaming after her. She had no words to offer him, being unsure about the motives of the young Legendary herself.

She preferred not to dwell on the thought that was pushing itself to the front of her mind all the time: that Morothrea was looking for a way to die.

Every council-meeting she feared the inevitable question: who was that new green snake crossing the globe? She was surprised no one seemed to have noticed her yet.

Yet she also knew that she better not hope for that ignorance to last long. Sooner or later someone would cross Morothrea's path.

"We let her go." She whispered, her tail winding around his.

"A foolish mistake." He countered, squeezing gently.

"One we must live with." She added, sighing in defeat as his arm came to rest on her back. They stayed like that for a while, not speaking the entire time.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

She was waiting, though for what she couldn't say. She had been evasive, turning away whenever she felt her parents or the Mew-duo approach for years now.

She only slept in her normal-form, the rest of the time she spent in her battle-form. She had thought she could deal with showing Mewtwo what it felt like for her to use her Signature Move, but she had been sorely mistaken.

She remembered everything now, even her fear and horror when she briefly, ever so briefly had felt her mother's mind. Even now she still shuddered at the memory. If Giratina had not used Shadow Force when she had…

Did Rayquaza know? Morothrea cork-screwed a bit as her thoughts returned to the place they hardly left. Had Giratina told the green ozone-snake how close everyone had come to losing the Distortion-ruler _again_?

It was haunting her, causing her to lose sleep which in turn made her more aggressive and hot-tempered than her parents could ever hope of being. But more importantly, it made her desperate for relief: relief from her powers and relief from her memories.

She descended, skimming the surface of the ocean between Hoenn and Unova. She had never tried swimming before and now she felt tempted to try it. It was one of many temptations she crushed before they set proper root. Just like the one where she wanted to disappear into the Distortion World and cling to her mother for the rest of eternity.


	16. Chapter 16

**Category:**** Pokémon**

**Rating:**** M**

**Couples:**** Giratina/Rayquaza**

**Warnings:**** Major AU, Blood, Character Death**

**Chapter:**** 16**

**Copyright:**** © characters and places by Nintendo & Game Freak; © Plot and OC's by me**

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Giratina was not present at the meeting. No one had managed to reach her, considering it was an unplanned one and she was cruising through the Distortion World.

Arceus simply decided to leave her out of it. He'd explain it to her later. She couldn't blame him for not finding her in time anyway: only she could travel down there properly.

"So what exactly did you call this emergency-meeting for?" Rayquaza demanded. After his happy-streak a few years back – before that Team Rocket-thing – he had become almost worse than he had been before.

Mentally Arceus sighed, outwardly he did nothing. "I recently found something. Something that concerns me."

Mew and Mewtwo shared a glance at that, almost fearing what he would reveal next.

They weren't half as shocked as Rayqauza when Arceus pointed to a far corner. Morothrea was resting on the ground in her battle-form, her red eyes staring at the assembled Legendaries.

Luckily for him most of the others were equally shocked, if for different reasons.

"Who is that?" Lugia asked the obvious question.

"She won't tell." Arceus lowered his leg again. "And she is well-trained in keeping her mind closed, like all of us."

"Is it my fault you don't know a simple 'please'?" A female's voice echoed in their minds. "Demanding something is rude." The green snake in the corner shifted, raising the front part of her body to look at them properly. Her golden armor gleamed in the light of the Hall of Origin.

Some looked scandalized, others furious, but most were simply curious. Mewtwo noted that Rayquaza was one of the very few who showed nothing on his face. Was that dragon ever unfazed by anything?

His insides were in turmoil. This was not how he and Giratina had ever envisioned Morothrea's introduction to the Council to go. She was challenging them with her every move and look. The aura she was emitting did not do her any favors either: foul and wrong. He was certain it would have had a pungent smell, if he could have smelled it.

He closed his eyes briefly. What was Morothrea's intention with this? He couldn't pay attention at all. Were those scars on her body? How had she gotten those and why had Giratina not told him?

On the other hand, what could he have done had she done so? It wasn't like his daughter would let him get close enough to actually help her. Fatherhood is hard when your kid doesn't want anything to do with you.

Which raised the question as to the why of the 'not wanting'… That's it: once this was over and if Morothrea actually survived this, he would so drag her to Sky Pillar to talk. His left eye twitched when he realized the chances of her survival were slimming by the moment.

Then both widened when he realized that this was exactly what she was aiming for. Dear Arceus, his daughter had gotten suicidal. The mere thought sickened him to his very core.

"Enough." He spoke up without fully registering it. "Have you taken leave of your senses?"

The difference between the two green snakes was striking: despite her actual armor the newcomer looked frail and tiny beside the Ozone-guardian. Her patters were much smoother and less glaring than his. And now they were staring each other down.

"And what if I did?" She countered, not averting her eyes.

"I know you did." He groaned. "What are you trying to accomplish here, child? No, don't answer. I think I already know."

"Can you blame me?" She uncoiled fully, floating up to face him. "Don't dare to blame me."

"Not blame you for seeking death?" He snarled in answer, floating forward. "I think I have every right to blame you for THAT. You should know that life is precious."

"You call this 'life'?" She countered, ignoring the silent gasps at her rudeness towards the old Legendary. "You dare call this… this atrocity precious?"

"Atrocity?" He echoed, looking at her with wide eyes. "That is what you think of yourself?"

"An atrocity to Arceus." She coldly stated.


	17. Chapter 17

**Category:**** Pokémon**

**Rating:**** M**

**Couples:**** Giratina/Rayquaza**

**Warnings:**** Major AU, Blood, Character Death**

**Chapter:**** 17**

**Copyright:**** © characters and places by Nintendo & Game Freak; © Plot and OC's by me**

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"If your life is an atrocity…" He emphasized every word, growing deadly calm as he did so. It terrified those in the room: they had never seen him like this. Rayquaza did not do 'calm', especially when he was angry. "If you truly believe that, then so be it."

His golden markings started to glow. "If your power makes you an atrocity, then so is half of this council. Do you think you are alone in your destructive powers? Do you honestly think they are a match for MY powers of destruction? Or Arceus'? Or GIRATINA'S?" At least he had switched back to his screaming fury now, his voice thundering in the room as every word brought him closer to the other snake. "Very well, if you want dead for that, so be it. But know this: we kill only those that attack us."

He relaxed, settling on the ground as he regarded her. "Attack me. Use your power on me and you shall be killed." He spread his arms, the golden glow around his form fading. "Attack me."

"What…?" Her voice had grown weak, stuttering a bit as she regarded him.

"I think you heard me quite clearly. Attack me, Morothrea." Rayquaza coldly ordered. "Attack me, or live."

No one saw the Mew-duo share a quick and surprised glance at that. How did the Ozone-guardian know her name?

"I… I can't…" He had thrown her completely off-guard.

"If you want to die, then you will have to." Rayquaza hissed. "Now come on, we don't have all day."

She did not answer, staring at him in disbelief.

"Well, gotta love the greeting here." Giratina pushed one of the golden doors open, regarding the two green snakes coldly. "Rayquaza, what the heck?"

"Just trying to help." He shrugged, looking completely unfazed at her sudden appearance.

"It still depends on whom you are trying to help." Arceus spoke up. "Do you know her, Rayquaza?"

"Where else would she have gotten her green snake-body?" The Leader of the Weather-trio stated, crossing his arms. "Though I swear that 'wanna-die'-thing and her rudeness does not come from me. I have it on good authority I raised her better than that."

"You raised me?" Morothrea dry-panned. "Last time I checked, you only visited me once and I visited you once."

"Don't get smart-assy on me, Uxie does that enough already." Rayquaza warned her.

"Sure… Dad." She stressed the word, flashing into her other form again.

Before anyone could speak up, a single word cut through the silence, the very sound making even the Ozone-dragon feel a shiver run up and down his spine. "Explain."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"And you didn't think this worthy of mention?" Arceus' eyes glowed a dangerous blood-red as he regarded the three Legendaries in front of him, though his main focus lay on his own daughter. Giratina looked like she did not know what the fuss was all about. "Did not think it worth mentioning that humans all but raped my own child?"

"You are not my dairy." She countered. "And I was intending to mention it, until Morothrea here needed some alone time to deal with herself, which somehow managed to culminate in this."

The young female managed to look chastised for a moment as her mother said that.

"Someone still needs to tell us how this happened." Dialga spoke up, studying his niece.

"Team Rocket." Rayquaza stated, looking at his daughter. "Her Signature Move is not something that can be liked." He rubbed his head with his claw. "Though I did not expect it to be this bad."

Morothrea did not speak up after that, studying the shining ground-tiles.

"I should have." Giratina spoke, with the strange emotion of guilt shining through her words. "I shouldn't have let her leave the Distortion World."

"I hate to remind you, but she has your stubbornness." Rayquaza earned himself two death-glares with that remark.

"And tolerance for Rayquaza, it seems." Arceus calmed some. "I would talk to my granddaughter, alone."

She looked at her two parents questioningly, both nodding in answer.


	18. Chapter 18

**Category:**** Pokémon**

**Rating:**** M**

**Couples:**** Giratina/Rayquaza**

**Warnings:**** Major AU, Blood, Character Death**

**Chapter:**** 18**

**Copyright:**** © characters and places by Nintendo & Game Freak; © Plot and OC's by me**

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"Wait…" Dialga said after Arceus left the room. "Does that mean I am an actual uncle now?"

"One who missed several birthdays, yes." Giratina dryly told him. "Ditto for you two." She looked over at the two other members of the Weather-trio.

"Am I the only one who is actually shocked about this?" Landorus exploded. "Rayquaza and Giratina just introduced their bloody Rocket-made daughter and all you care about is the fact that you are now uncles?"

"If you refer to her like that ever again, we'll be introducing the Landorus-origined blood-splatter-on-this-floor as well." Rayquaza hissed. "She has a name and I very much would appreciate you using it."

Giratina's shadowy wing wrapped around his body, pulling him back from the Fertility-Legendary of Unova. "Calm down, Rayquaza, he has a point. Just like you, now breathe."

"You do remember I mostly breathe attacks, correct?" He sarcastically asked, but obeyed anyway, coiling up on the ground again.

"Which is why Morothrea is a big, green snake rather than a basilisk." Giratina stated. "She has your looks and my dominions."

"Do not remind me." For the first time since entering the room that day, Rayquaza looked truly uncomfortable. The family-secret weighed heavily on his mind. He glanced to his side, where Giratina's face had grown unreadable, then twisted to the Mew-duo, who had been silent throughout, staring at him and the Renegade.

Something heavy settled in the air, weighing it down as more and more time past and neither Morothrea nor Arceus returned.

The sound of the heavy door opening was like an explosion in the silence that had formed. Morothrea shot forward, curling up against her mother, who did not move as she first regarded the young Legendary and then the white qilin-like being entering the room.

"Morothrea can stay." He stated. "I blocked most of her powers for now, though. I do not wish a repeat of THAT incident."

The tone of his voice spoke volumes: there would be hell to pay if it happened again.

"No one wants that, I assure you." Giratina assured him, wrapping a wing around the shivering snake on her chest. "What else did you do to her?"

"She didn't want to tell me." He calmly stated. "Unlike Uxie, my mind-reading is still somewhat invasive, as I am sure you recall."

Oh yes, she definitely recalled.

"And you had to use that on her?" Rayquaza demanded incredulously. "Arceus, she is still a child, especially by Legendary-standards."

"Am not." Morothrea spoke up, her voice muffled by her mother's body.

"You actually are." Giratina looked down upon her. "We can discuss that one once you're a few centuries."

A muffled groan, and the green snake curled around the basilisk's neck just a bit tighter. It was strangely… cute to watch the two aggressive Legendaries and their daughter like that.


End file.
